A compilation of daily news articles from around the United States about deaths (including both people and animals) that appear to occur in the context of a past or present intimate relationship, focusing on 2009-present. (NOTE: this blog is limited to incidents that appear in the media and are captured by our search terms. We recognize this is not an exhaustive portrayal of all deaths resulting from intimate violence.)
When is society going to realize intimate violence makes victims of us all?

Sunday, August 5, 2012

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Police in Melbourne said a man shot and killed his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend, then shot her sister, before taking his own life Friday evening.The victim, Jessica Cahoon, worked as a passenger service agent at Melbourne International Airport. Friends told WFTV Cahoon's ex-boyfriend, Theodore Alston, worked as a security guard.The violence played out Friday evening at the League Apartments on Aurora Road, right across the street from the Community Christian School and a neighborhood football field.Residents at the League Apartments came home to yellow tape and obvious signs of struggle just before 5 p.m. Friday."I saw the yellow tape and I was like, 'What?' Then Roy came up to me and told me all these people got murdered," said the victim's friend Alena Lakes.Lakes came to the scene after hearing her friend, Cahoon, had been shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend."Her mom called me and said Jessica's dead and I was like, 'Are you playing? Are you serious?'" said Lakes.Melbourne police won't say exactly how they think the events transpired. But Cahoon and Alston were found shot to death inside apartment 12, where Cahoon lived.

Cahoon's sister, Jennifer Cooper, who lives a few doors down, was shot as well, but is alive and in the hospital, according to police."Investigators are looking into the possibility this was a murder-suicide," said Sgt Sheridan Shelley of the Melbourne Police Department.Lakes said Cahoon and her ex-boyfriend had a tumultuous five-year relationship that ended with her kicking him out three weeks ago."He seemed like a nice person, but when she would tell me what would go on in the house, it was crazy," said Lakes.According to Lakes, that included physical and emotional abuse."Would you ever think something like this that it would get to this?" WFTV's Renee Stoll asked."Yeah, I told her. I told her he is going to kill you," Lakes replied.Although police said they haven't been called to the apartment before for any domestic violence issues, WFTV checked Alston's record and found he was arrested in 2009 for domestic violence.